At a young age when Joe Burrow began playing youth football, he had his eyes set on being a wide receiver or a running back. In fact, he even declined the first opportunity he was presented with to play quarterback.
“I didn't pick quarterback,” Burrow said of why he wanted to play quarterback. “I got to my first pee wee practice and the coach at the time, coach Sam Smathers - I still see him all the time when I go back home - he basically asked me if I wanted to be quarterback and I said 'No, not really.' But then he said 'Well, you're gonna be quarterback. Too bad.'”
Joe Burrow, the son of Jimmy Burrow, a longtime college football coach had his son around the game from the day he was born. Burrow didn’t think at that level of football the ball would be in his hands enough if he played quarterback. He wanted to get in on the action as much as he could.
Fair to say his life would be drastically different if Smathers didn’t force him to play quarterback.
“I wanted to be a running back or a receiver,” Burrow said. “I don't know why. I guess I thought in pee wee football we weren't gonna throw the ball very much, so I wanted to have the ball in my hand. Obviously, I'm glad it worked out the way that it did. This is my career. I don't know if I'd be an NFL wide receiver. That's probably a pipe dream. But I can play quarterback pretty well.
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He’s right about that.
Burrow, in his second season in the NFL, is leading a team that won four games in 2020 to Super Bowl LVI. In addition to his play on the field, what the former No. 1 overall pick has brought to the franchise in terms of confidence in belief is arguably where his biggest impact lies.
With Burrow under center, there is a belief in the Bengals’ locker room no matter who they are playing or if they are down three scores at halftime, Cincinnati’s star quarterback will give them a chance.
Look no further than what Burrow and the Bengals did in the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs for proof. Down 21-3 at one point, Burrow spearheaded another second-half comeback for his team.
Whether it’s being sacked nine times, trailing by multiple scores, a rabid environment on the road, no matter the circumstance Burrow never gets rattled. His poise is uncanny in many ways considering his age and experience.
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But it’s why the Bengals are sitting in the position they are in today. And as far is if Burrow will change anything in the way he approaches the biggest game of his professional career, the answer is no.
His method works.
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While Burrow downplays the magnitude of the upcoming game, it’s not lost on him the position he’s in. He dreamed of moments like this when he took Smathers’ suggestion to play quarterback. Contrary to his original thought as a kid, he will have the ball in his hands as much as he wants against the Los Angeles Rams.
"I think my favorite part about playing quarterback, there's great players at every position in the NFL but I think only a few really affect the game in a drastic way," Burrow said. "And I think quarterback is the one position on the field that can really affect the game on every single play. I like having the ball in my hands on every play and being able to win or lose with me."
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